--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must rapidly begin the shift from a…" description: "\"“We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/martin-luther-king-jr-127_community_we-must-rapidly-begin-the-shift-from-a-t_2039604.png" --- # We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented… ![“We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/martin-luther-king-jr-127_community_we-must-rapidly-begin-the-shift-from-a-t_2039604.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/martin-luther-king-jr-127_community_we-must-rapidly-begin-the-shift-from-a-t_2039604.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/martin-luther-king-jr-127_community_we-must-rapidly-begin-the-shift-from-a-t_2039604.png) > ““We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society must prioritize human dignity over material and technological pursuits to overcome racism, materialism, and militarism. **In simple terms:** People over profit and machines. Key Takeaway Shift focus to human-centered values. Themes social justice humanity technology ethics peace Mood hopeful urgent Type visionary provocative When to use this quote - policy making - education reform - community building - activism Key Concepts philosophy systems thinking political theory Questions to Reflect On - How can you promote person-oriented values at work? - What role does technology play in dehumanization? A Different Perspective Changing deep-rooted systems is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Inspiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiring/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Materialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism/) [Militarism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/militarism/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Property rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property-rights/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Triplet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triplet/) ## Related quotes > [We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-rapidly-begin-the-shift-from-a-thing-oriented-society-to-a-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [If you read Martin Luther King speeches and sermons in the last two years of his life - you might want to - –when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/if-you-read-martin-luther-king-speeches-and-sermons-in-the-last-two/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [It is difficult to disturb the common usage of Korean that is bent to the perspective of a male-oriented society. 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"The doctor says this time it's triplets!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/good-news-she-chirped-the-doctor-says-this-time-it-s-triplets/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I have respect for mother nature's methods of robustness (billions of years allow most of what is fragile to break); classical thought is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/i-have-respect-for-mother-nature-s-methods-of-robustness-billions-of/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I think I have my own sort of distinctive swing, for sure. I think that's something that comes really natural to me, to push…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-gossard/i-think-i-have-my-own-sort-of-distinctive-swing-for-sure-i-think-that/) [Stone Gossard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-gossard/) ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-cannot-win-the-respect-of-his-oppressor-by-acquiescing-he/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whenever-you-are-engaged-in-work-that-serves-humanity-and-is-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-that-one-day-even-the-state-of-mississippi-a-desert/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Explore all 1,210 Martin Luther King, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More Community quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. 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